A generation before Star Wars: A New Hope...
In a galaxy far, far away, an evil force is gaining strength and threatens an entire civilization. Two courageous Jedi, a young queen, a Gungan outcast, and a slave boy named Anakin band together to save a planet under attack as the fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance.

The evil Sith Lord Darth Maul is a formidable warrior and scheming mastermind who learns the power of the dark side from his Master, Darth Sidious. The red-skinned Dathomirian Zabrak is known for his menacing ferocity in battle and his fiery, double-bladed lightsaber. Trained in the Force and guided by the dark side, Maul and Sidious plot to destroy the Jedi and enslave the peaceful planet of Naboo. However, when Darth Maul arrives on the planet to execute the invasion, he is met by Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and Jedi apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi. The duel ensues and the outcome could have devastating impacts for all involved.

When The Black Series 6” line made its debut in 2013, one of the standout figures from the first wave was Darth Maul. Hasbro hasn’t been gracious about re-releasing the figure throughout the years since its original release, and although many bootlegs of the figure have been produced on the secondary market, the demand for the figure remains high. Symbolic of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Darth Maul exemplifies the plot of the film and the character never tires as a collectible with Star Wars collectors. So, it’s a safe assertion to make that this figure is the perfect candidate to celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Phantom Menace. What we’re disappointed about is that Darth Maul (Jedi Duel) is exclusive for Star Wars Celebration Chicago. And with the ridiculous new lottery system for a chance to purchase merchandise and attend panels, attaining this figure (and Obi-Wan Kenobi) are going to be a frustrating experience for most that want them for their collections. Inspired by the special packaging created for the Star Wars 40th Anniversary 6” line, Hasbro now transformed the Episode I packaging from 1999 through 2000 into 6” scale. With the figure placed in a rectangular bubble and call-outs describing the figure’s accessories, Darth Maul (Jedi Duel) with tickle the nostalgia bone of those who grew up with or collected the original 3.75” Episode I CommTech basic figure line. Because of the approach of this figure, we see multiple generations of fans and collectors showing interest in this figure.

Darth Maul (Jedi Duel) comes packaged similarly as 2017’s TBS6 [SW40] Luke Skywalker: X-Wing Pilot figure. The packaged is foiled and glistens in any light. Yet, the original elements of the 1999/2000 packaging are all there in place as well. Unlike the 40th Anniversary packaging, the card back of Darth Maul (Jedi Duel) looks perfectly to scale, and Hasbro didn’t need to do any clever editing to make everything fit. We believe collectors are going to prefer this style of packaging more. With the same plot overview of Episode I on the back of the packaging, and a more elaborated bio on Darth Maul newly added, the 20th Anniversary of The Phantom Menace Darth Maul (Jedi Duel) figure will appeal to Prequel Trilogy fans and collectors everywhere. With so many versions of Darth Maul already in the toy line, perhaps you don’t need a repeat of this version, but admittedly it’s nice to have this figure done up like this. It feels truly commemorative in every way. Describing Darth Maul (Jedi Duel) may be redundant, but let’s run through some of the figure’ key points and see why the figure still shines after so many years. Darth Maul (Jedi Duel) comes with 28 points of high-quality articulation. The articulation gives the figure full range mobility and, like other figures in this line already, can attain positions without limits or reservations. Like the original version, Hasbro included the interchangeable portrait of this figure with this release. The surprise here is that they updated it with "photorealistic" technology which is an unexpected update. It's hard to see it, but up close you can tell this is the route they took with this figure.

Darth Maul (Jedi Duel)'s paint job is relatively simple, save for his portrait. Hasbro improved upon some of the applications when compared to the original release of this figure. But like so many other figures before him, time heals all wounds. The tattoos on his face have been applied with great care. They’re symmetrical, cleanly applied, and the red color which serves as the backdrop to the black facial tattoos is moderately colored without appearing too bright or obtrusive. Because the rest of Darth Maul (Jedi Duel)'s outfit is black, there isn’t much to worry about as far as paint operations are concerned. Overall, the figure looks fantastic. In addition to portrait/cloak piece, Darth Maul (Jedi Duel) also comes with macrobinoculars and two lightsaber hilts that attach to form the complete double-bladed lightsaber hilt. The blades are also removable, so it gives you more options with how to pose him. We feel strongly that the blades are an appropriate length, but are a bit too thin and not much wider than the lightsaber blades given to the figures in the 3.75” lines. Darth Maul (Jedi Duel) can hold his accessories very easily, and they look beautiful when they are in his use. Darth Maul (Jedi Duel) also comes with some soft-goods. They’re outstanding and add a few extra layers of texture to the figure without looking oversized. Hasbro was certain to trim them in a way that they don’t hang out below the plastic molded robes. Darth Maul (Jedi Duel) is the perfect release to celebrate 20 years of The Phantom Menace. It would be nice to see about a dozen of these produced, but we’ll take what we can get.